August 1 – Macau

On the first day of August, the church celebrates the memory of the seven martyrs of the Macavei Brothers. Our people, coming out of the number of martyrs, have devoted them as many days as they are. In some places, this number has become in the consciousness of the people 6, in others – 12. So the first six or the first twelve days of August are the “Macauwe” folk celebrations. And since the people’s economic year begins on September 1, the first days of the last month of the old economic year are taken as predictors of time and fertility in the next. So in some places “The First Macau” is called for September, the second is October, the third is November, the fourth December, the fifth January, and so on. to the twelfth, i. August. Careful to see what is the time during each of these 12 days: sunny, rainy, windy or somewhat mixed, variable; and what is in those days, such will be in the corresponding months. The people’s memory in some places has allowed these Maccayes to be respected during the last 12 days of August, as is the case in Ohrid. The common name, by associating the name “Macaw” with the word “poppy”. “Grief” celebrates the first day and “to experience pains and pains” during the year; so we can interpret the abstinence from spinning in Veles so that the toes do not hurt. They do not weave, they do not bathe the children. An interesting custom is in the northwestern Bulgarian edges of the first Macau. It is on this day that the sons of sons go to their father-in-law and mother-in-law. After the feast, the oldest son-in-law takes ready for this purpose Tolum and begins to beat his Bajangans with him. He chases them through the threshing floor while they are nice to joke and jump. This custom is made for cows, sheep and mares to be fertile. In connection with this, there is the saying: “Makavei – a day of Bajangan!” Or “Macawee’s brother-in-law is broke up!” Or “The Macdonald Macadayy is crowned!” Or “It is McKay, tomorrow it will come!” in Panagyurishte, as well as some obscene anecdote. This character of the anecdote, as well as the basic meaning of the custom of chasing the sons of the bride, shows that we have a very curious autumn fertile custom, but for which full explanation is needed to gather more data from the people. In other countries and other peoples we have similar customs, but related to other cases in the autumn, not the Maccabean feast. associating with it an obscene anecdote. This character of the anecdote, as well as the basic meaning of the custom of chasing the sons of the bride, shows that we have a very curious autumn fertile custom, but whose full explanation is needed to gather more data from the people. In other countries and other peoples we have similar customs, but related to other cases in the autumn, not the Maccabean feast. associating with it an obscene anecdote. This character of the anecdote, as well as the basic sense of the custom of chasing the sons of the bride, shows that we have a very curious autumn fertile custom, but whose full explanation is needed to gather more data from the people. In other countries and other peoples we have similar customs, but related to other cases in the autumn, not the Maccabean feast.